Six-year-old Eldon Presson was diagnosed with leukemia in September of this year. His treatments are working and Eldon is in remission but medical bills still continue to end up in his parent’s mailbox and with Christmas just around the corner the $2,000 check the Presson’s received at the Lake Stevens Ace Hardware last week couldn’t have come at a better time.

Ace Hardware stores all over the region have been collecting unused Christmas lights from their customers in collaboration with Lights for Life, a non-profit organization that collects the lights, sells them to recycling plants for their copper and uses the money to help families who have kids fighting cancer.

Each year over 200 million string lights are purchased in America most of which end up in land fills. Lights for Life and Ace Hardware stores ask that you drop your old, unusable lights off at one of their stores so that they can recycle them.

This year the Presson family was chosen as one of the project’s recipients. The family lives in Everett and mom Katie works right here in Lake Stevens. They were excited to receive the money and the other gifts that they were given.
“We will be using the money for a little bit of everything,” Katie said.

“It feels good,” Eldon added.

Eldon and his family were also given passes to Woodland Park Zoo, a Forever Flower which was made from recycled computer parts and a bouquet of flowers made especially for a six-year-old boy. It was covered in Matchbox cars and candy.
Ace Hardware in Lake Stevens will be collecting unused Christmas lights through January 31, 2012. They can be dropped off at their store during business hours.

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